Tionna De Freitas, Features Editor

Utica College hosted its annual Student Involvement Fair on Wednesday Sept. 7. With almost 100 organizations and clubs in attendance, both returning and first year students got the chance to see the wealth of opportunities to become involved both on and off campus.

Student organizations set up displays and had members on site talk to visitors one on one about what their organization does on campus. Involvement in co-curricular experiences is one of the most important parts of having a successful college career, explained Senior, Elliott Coleman. Coleman is involved in multiple clubs and organizations on campus including the cheerleading team, Utica College’s Programming Board, and a little brother of Chi Beta Sigma.

“Showcasing all the organizations that are on campus and what they have to offer will then interest students because the organization or club is recruiting potential members and keeping them active, which is what the campus likes to see most. It goes along with the saying, “never stand still,” said Coleman.

Freshman, Julia Post was very surprised as she walked down the sidewalk of surrounding tables behind the Strebel Student Center where the fair was being held.

“I wasn’t really sure what was going on, I walked out of class towards Strebel and saw a lot of people in one place and decided to check it out. When I asked what it was for, I thought it was such a great idea the campus held an event like this. Being a commuter I need ways to become involved and make new friends on campus. I thought the set-up was the best part. Having tables on each sides of the sidewalk made it easier to visit each table and look at their displays and talk to the active members. I learned a lot about some organizations I thought would never exist here!” exclaimed Post.

The Student Involvement Fair is also a great way for organizations on campus to get a jump-start into their semester and getting more people to join their club.

“Recruiting doesn’t stop for us. We usually recruit throughout the whole year. We like to pick a theme and build around it, so we’ll work our way up to flyers, shirts, hosting informational and then all have it tie together. Wearing our letters on the first day of classes as well as every Monday has always been tradition. It gets people thinking and wondering what it stands for and how they can learn more about it,” said Vice President of Chi Beta Sigma, Dellisa Gordon.

Being a role model and informative is also a great tip when it comes to recruitment.

“Always remember to be friendly, show them what they’re gaining from joining and let them know how much of a time commitment it is and always inviting them to your events if they seem interested leads to a good turnout” said Coleman.

UC is always making it easier for students to connect on and off campus and wants to see their campus community involved and content with their personal free time. Being a diverse and medium sized campus, there is definitely something for everyone explained Sarah Spittler, an Occupational Therapy student.

“UC is a very active and lively campus with so much to do and so much to get involved in, so no one should ever feel out of place or bored on campus. The good thing about it is if there isn’t a club or organization here that someone is looking for, they can start one of their own. All they need is five members and a UC staff member as an advisor and they have themselves a new organization. It’s great, the more clubs, the more diverse we will be in all aspects down the road.” said Spittler.